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Safety News Item – 10/10/08 – Skylight Safety Standards

Dr. Ellis is working to develop ASTM standards for skylight safety. As a member of the subcommittee E06.51 – Performance of Windows, Doors, Skylights and Curtin Walls as part of ASTM International Committee E06 on Performance of Buildings – Dr. Ellis is directing attention to human impact on skylights with particular attention to how aging affects the integrity of skylights.
To read more, including comments by Dr. Ellis, go to the IHS website at Skylight Standards.

January 2008
The new ASTM committee E06.51.25 – as authorized by E06.51, headed by Dr. J. Nigel Ellis, is working on drafting and improving test standards to replicate people falling onto skylights.
For more information, contact Dr. Ellis at nigel@FallSafety.com
The ASTM announcement is set out below.

WK17797 New Human Impact on commercial skylights
Developed by Subcommittee: E06.51
See Related Work by this Subcommittee
Date Initiated: 12-20-2007
1. Scope
To develop formulate and improve standard methods of tests that simulate falls of persons onto skylights (and smoke vents) for human impact resistance under natural conditions of exposure and provide information for code and standards officials on which performance standards can be established. The standard is needed because BLS/DOL report consistently that human death and serious injury from falls through skylights continues annually at the rate of 50-60 deaths annually. OSHA 1926.500-503 construction safety regulations refer to skylights as treating them like open holes. Skylights can fail without warning due to rapid aging and there is a need to protect hundreds of thousands of skylights that were installed decades ago. All this because individual contractors from about 15 trades have no idea of the extent of the danger of approaching skylights on roofs. Additional tests for smoke vent opening, closing and protection may be needed for similar reasons.
Keywords
Fall hazard, roofs, NIOSH Hazard Alert, fragile roofs, metal building skylights, plastic bubble skylights, dome skylights, corrugated fiberglass skylights, roof lighting, glass skylights, skylight signage, fall hazard warnings, dangerous roof openings
The title and scope are in draft form and are under development within this ASTM Committee.

Copyright 2007 ASTM International. All rights reserved.

Dr. Nigel Ellis Skylight Safety Article in By Design ASSE Newsletter

Dr. Nigel Ellis addresses skylight safety in the US providing valuable information about regulations, testing, weathering issues and fall protections solutions for both new and in-place skylights.